Print the Biography/Short

Peter Michael

New Zealand

SportSpeed Skating
FederationIDSSNZL10905198901
NOCNew Zealand
Born09 May 1989 in  Wellington
GenderMen
OccupationAthlete
LanguagesEnglish
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 37.44 28 Feb 2016 Inzell  
    1000m 1:11.40 09 Jan 2022 Inzell  
    1500m 1:44.96 09 Dec 2017 Salt Lake City, UT  
    5000m 6:09.68 10 Dec 2017 Salt Lake City, UT  
    10000m 12:58.07 21 Nov 2015 Salt Lake City, UT  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
World Single Distances Championships
Event  
World Single Distances Championships
    5000m     1  
    Team Pursuit 8 Laps   1    
General Interest
General Interest
Other sportsHe has represented New Zealand in roller speed skating, and won eight titles at the world championships between 2010 and 2016. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Nov 2016; stuff.co.nz, 14 Sep 2016)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportOne of the factors that persuaded him to switch to speed skating was that there was more funding available in the sport than in inline skating. He was also inspired by New Zealand speed skater Shane Dobbin competing at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.  
General Interest
General Interest
Hero / IdolUS boxer Muhammad Ali. (Athlete, 26 Jan 2017)  
Awards and honoursIn 2014 he was named Sportsperson of the Year in Kapiti, New Zealand. (kapitiindependentnews.net.nz, 11 Nov 2014)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?He competed in inline skating before taking up speed skating in 2014 in Inzell, Germany.  
General Interest
General Interest
Sporting philosophy / motto"Never give up, keep pushing." (Athlete, 08 Nov 2017)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/petermichael42nz  
twitter.com/petermichael42  
General Interest
General Interest
MilestonesHe became the first speed skater representing New Zealand to win a world championship medal by claiming bronze in the 5000m at the 2016 World Single Distances Championships in Gangneung, Republic of Korea. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Nov 2021; olympics.nbcsports.com, 09 Feb 2017; isu.org, 04 Dec 2016)

He became the first New Zealand speed skater to finish on top of the podium at a World Cup event when he triumphed in the 5000m in 2016 in Astana, Kazakhstan. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Nov 2021; olympics.nbcsports.com, 09 Feb 2017; isu.org, 04 Dec 2016)
 
Other informationLIVING IN THE NETHERLANDS
He spends a large part of the year based in Heerenveen, Netherlands. "Of course I would rather live in New Zealand, close to the family. But that's a bit tricky for a long track guy, because there isn't a single 400m track in my country. My mother would cheer if I came home tomorrow. That won't happen yet. I have some stuff to do." (schaatsen.nl, 29 Aug 2021; nzherald.co.nz, 13 Mar 2019)

INLINE TO ICE
He first competed in inline skating but decided to switch to speed skating. "By my twenties I had done everything possible in inline [so] I tried ice - at the start I didn't really like it, it was quite difficult, trying a new sport, but I stuck through with it. The first day, I stepped on the ice and did one lap. I reckon it would have taken me four minutes just for that one lap. I couldn't stand up, it was very difficult. The next day, I managed five laps. I developed quickly after that, but, in saying that, I just went hard. A lot of people think, from the sidelines, that [inline and speed skating] are really similar, but they're honestly not. To do four minutes that first lap - I was coming off one of my best years in inline." (nzherald.co.nz, 13 Mar 2019; vice.com, 06 Dec 2017)
 
NicknamesMessy, Messy Mike (Athlete, 17 Jan 2021)  
InjuriesHe sustained an elbow injury in October 2021. (schaatsen.nl, 13 Oct 2021)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships Team Pursuit 8 Laps2  
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships 5000m3  
    2018 Olympic Games Team Pursuit 8 Laps4  
    2018 Olympic Games 5000m4  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps5  
    2015/2016 World Single Distances Championships 5000m6  
    2023/2024 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start6  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps6  
    2014/2015 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps6  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships Team Pursuit 8 Laps7  
    2015/2016 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps7  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships Team Pursuit 8 Laps8  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships 10000m8  
    2023/2024 World Single Distances Championships 5000m9  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships 10000m9  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships 5000m10  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships 10000m11  
    2022 Olympic Games 10000m12  
    2014/2015 World Single Distances Championships 5000m12  
    2015/2016 World Single Distances Championships 10000m12  
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships 1500m13  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships 5000m13  
    2018 Olympic Games 1500m14  
    2018 Olympic Games Mass Start 16 Laps15  
    2022/2023 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start16  
    2022 Olympic Games Mass Start17  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships 5000m19  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps19  
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps22  
    2022 Olympic Games 1500m26  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2016/2017 Berlin Qualification Combination Allround1  
    2016/2017 Astana 5000m1  
    2019/2020 Nagano 5000m2  
    2022/2023 Calgary, AB Mass Start2  
    2016/2017 Berlin 5000m2  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m3  
    2016/2017 Nagano Team Pursuit 8 Laps3  
    2017/2018 Salt Lake City, UT Team Pursuit 8 Laps3  
    2016/2017 Berlin 1500m3  
    2017/2018 Heerenveen Team Pursuit 8 Laps3  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification Overall5  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps5  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m11  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification Mass Start10  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m11  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps12  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps12  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m13  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1500m14  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps14  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps15  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m18  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m21  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification 5000m22  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1500m22  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps23  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification 1500m24  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification Mass Start24  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m29  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps30  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification Mass Start31  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m31  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1500m33  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 5000/10000m36  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification Overall38  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1500m43  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification Overall42  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1500m44  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1500m46